"FANTASTIC FOUR #1 is now selling for up to $50 in many back-issue comic-book stores...."

They didn't mention how much lessFantastic Four #1 would have been worth if someone had taken the scissors to it back in 1961.

While Marvel Value Stamp Books do have collectible value (see our Auctions page), cutting up your comic collection in 1974 wasn't necessarily the most cost efficient way to own a complete set in the long run.

Let's look at a few painful examples, shall we?

For purposes of these examples, we're going to assume that cutting out the stamp did not damage the story pages (as some stamps did), and that a missing stamp would cause an otherwise VERY FINE copy to drop to an Overstreet grade of GOOD, which may arguably still be too high. The prices below are quoted from the Thirty-Second Edition of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide (copyright 2002).

The total difference on these three issues is $529. Basically, with just the difference in value on Incredible Hulk #181, you could currently buy yourself several complete Marvel Value Stamp Books on eBay.

Kidding aside, and excluding the extreme example of Incredible Hulk #181, your collection is probably worth somewhere in the vicinity of 80% less with the stamps cut out.